But He's Staying On Message

Second terms are always a bitch, aren’t they?

Ronald Reagan had his Iran-Contra Scandal. Bill Clinton had his impeachment hearings over the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Lyndon Johnson had the Viet Nam War go south on him.

So George Bush shouldn’t feel so down about his latest poll numbers.

Well maybe he should.

Remember back in 2000, he won (well, sort of) running on the platform of bringing honesty and integrity to the White House? He said he’d hold his administration to a higher ethical standard, "not just what the lawyers allow but what the public deserves.”

With the indictment of Dick Cheney’s right hand man I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, George Bush is not looking as much like the stand-up guy he presented himself to be back in 2000 and the polls are showing it. In a recent ABC news poll, 58 percent of those polled said Bush was not honest or trustworthy, and only 40 percent saying he was.

He even lost ground on his perennial favorite, values. Again, 58 percent said he did not share their values, with only 40 percent saying he did.

The hallmark of the Bush administration has been its members' steadfast, tight lipped loyalty to the president. Now with the indictments in the investigation over the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s name to the press, it’s all falling apart. Bush is out there, staying on message just like he’s been taught, but let’s be honest here, he looks pathetic without the help of Vice President Dick Cheney and chief of staff Karl Rove, who are a bit distracted right now.

It’s been a bad year. His national tour to replace Social Security with individual retirement accounts did no more than rack up the miles on Air Force One. With the dismal performance of FEMA director Michael Brown followed by the nomination of his good friend and chief counsel Harriet Meirs to the Supreme Court, it became absolutely clear that the Bush administration ran on the principal of “You take care of me and I’ll take care of you.” Good old boy cronyism in its purest form.

And despite protestations to the contrary, the administration is now advocating torture. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has submitted an anti-torture provision to the senate, but Cheney wants an exemption for the CIA and has made the rounds drumming up support among Republicans, as well as suggesting that the White House would veto this bill.

Okay, this president has never once vetoed a spending bill, (remember those damn bridges in Alaska?), or any bill for that matter. So the first time he goes against the will of Congress is to allow people to be tortured. What a guy.

Now the president maintains it’s not torture, it’s self defense. In other words, it’s okay to torture bad people to keep them from doing bad things.

I've always had a hard time with this president. I've never been able to stomach the fact that the most powerful man in the free world was a worthless drunk until he turned 40 and found Jesus. What happens to the country if he loses Jesus and finds Jack Daniels? It’s been known to happen.

I just wish the Bush administration could have imploded at this time a year ago. Could have been a whole ‘nother ball game.